Advancing Food by Listening First
By Kirsten Okenwa
For many years, I thought meaningful food systems work began with having the right solutions. Today, I believe it begins with something much simpler. Listening.
One phrase has quietly emerged from my journey over the past few months:
Advancing food by listening first.
Looking back, I realize this has been the thread connecting different seasons of my life, long before I had the words to describe it.
As a child, I watched my two grandmothers come alive during Nigeria’s Better Life for Rural Women initiative led by the late first lady, Mrs. Maryam Babangida. I didn’t fully understand it then, but I saw the confidence, dignity, and opportunities that emerged when rural women’s knowledge and work were recognized. They didn’t simply need support; they needed to be seen, heard, and valued.
Years later, through our Kids Diary magazine and school engagements, I found myself listening to children, their questions, their curiosity, and their dreams. More recently, I had a vivid dream that has stayed with me. A little girl gently tugged at my clothing until I stopped to give her my attention. She wanted to tell me that children need nutrients. Whether symbolic or simply memorable, it reminded me that behind every discussion about agriculture, nutrition, or food policy is a child whose future depends on the choices we make today.
That same conviction now shapes my work.
Through Global Legume Kitchen Circles, I have listened to people from 25 countries share stories about beans and legumes. What began as simple conversations has become a living archive of food, memory, resilience, livelihoods, and identity. Each conversation reminds me that before we design programmes or recommend solutions, we must first understand how people relate to their food.
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Through PYNE HART Company Limited, part of my work involves transforming indigenous African botanicals into value-added products while building relationships with rural traders and communities whose knowledge is often overlooked. Through Rohan Rural Support Initiative, my team and I hope to continue serving communities by connecting research, indigenous knowledge, and practical action for more resilient food systems.
Along the way, I have also come to appreciate the work of initiatives like the Better Life for Rural Women programme and organizations across the CGIAR system that demonstrate an important principle: lasting agricultural transformation is strongest when communities are listened to as partners rather than treated as passive beneficiaries.
The more I learn, the more convinced I become that communities are not empty vessels waiting for expertise. They are repositories of knowledge, innovation, resilience, and lived experience.
Perhaps that is the future of food systems I want to contribute to. Not one built only on technologies or policies, but one built on conversations, trust, and respect.
One where we advance food...
...by listening first.
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Food is more than nourishment—it preserves memory, shapes identity, strengthens livelihoods, and helps communities heal and thrive.
Kirsten Okenwa, Food Systems Practitioner | Scientist | Writer | Food Heritage Archivist | Agrifood Innovator
Advancing Food by Listening First.
